Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble

Super Monkey Ball is a serious contender for being the Gamecube game I played the most back in the day. Sega had just left the Dreamcast behind to become a third-party developer and delivered a title that included exactly the components fans loved them for: stripped down, slightly arcadey, super-intuitive and very entertaining gameplay.

I'm sure you're familiar with the basic premise, which was largely just rolling monkeys in balls through colourful stages in pursuit of the best time and most bananas collected. That's all it took, and when I occasionally go back to my Gamecube, I can still look at old saved replays and wonder how my friends and I actually managed to push each other to the semi-unreal records we achieved.

But... For the sequel, Sega did what they often do (which probably contributed to the Dreamcast's failure), namely overcomplicated things. Rolling monkey balls suddenly wasn't enough, and they had to put in completely new elements that overshadowed its brilliant gameplay (kind of like when they decided that taxis should be able to jump in Crazy Taxi 2). In addition, the monkeys needed personality and a story was added - without anyone ever asking for it.

Since then, Sega has tried on countless occasions to repeat the success of Super Monkey Ball, without ever really finding the magic again. Sure, it's still fun to roll the monkeys, but Sega still doesn't quite trust that it would be enough and still feeds us story. Why I bring this up is because in the last few days I've been playing the Switch-exclusive Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble, developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, and been feeling equal parts happy and annoyed.

For the first time ever since the 2001 original, I think Sega actually got it right with the level design. Getting to the finish line is rarely a major problem and it's playful and wonderfully crafted. But... doing it with a quick time and finding all the secrets is a lot tougher. Even after a few levels, it takes a calmness worthy of the best Zen monks to succeed in everything, and instead of moving on to the next one, I often choose to try again.

For those who are new to the Monkey Ball world, there are also really nice tools to make playing easier and after missing too many times, a help system automatically steps in and asks if you need assistance. This can be turned off, but thanks to the ability to watch ghosts while others play, you'll frankly never get stuck.

In addition, this time we have a new game mechanic that actually adds something and fits seamlessly into the basic concept. It's nothing revolutionary though, it's called Spin Dash, and is reminiscent of the dash Sonic the Hedgehog can do by crouching and charging up speed. Here, however, you can do a Spin Dash while moving, with some cooldown preventing me from abusing this. This allows you to quickly speed up in jumps, slam into things in the hope that the monkey will get off the ground and make it onto a ledge or try a crazy shortcut. It actually adds something and makes Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble more enjoyable to play, and since all the monkeys are different, there's a lot to explore here.

There's a pleasant sense of déjà vu as I'm transported back to the glory days of the Gamecube. Sure, there are still some stages that rely on gimmicks that don't really add anything gameplay-wise, but Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio consistently delivers really good level design, and there's plenty of environmental variation as well as the ability to play co-op. But... then there's the story, which Sega still thinks we need. It has led to an absolutely atrocious story where we have to search for a missing monkey and an artefact in battle against a Team Rocket-like gang who don't have much more personality than being rude. But despite that, there are plenty of cutscenes - with speech - where the monkeys mumble out lines in a manner reminiscent of the Swedish Chef in the Muppets.

It's genuinely frustrating to have to endure, and my poor girlfriend repeatedly asked me to turn the volume down because it sounds so stupid and juvenile. Unfortunately, it doesn't stop there, because in addition to a story, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and Sega have also decided that the game needs to feel like live service, so there's a huge amount of cosmetic items you can buy that don't affect anything.

Beyond the gameplay-wise enjoyable and well-made campaign with around 200 stages to play through (complete with an Achievements-like system), there's also a collection of mini-games you can enjoy locally and online for up to 16 people, with multiple stages available to create more variety. One of them is called Ba-Boom and quickly became a favourite where, in a vaguely battle royale-like premise, we're not supposed to be the monkey holding a bomb at the end of the round. Goal Rush is also hectic and entertaining where you and your team have to roll through gates to take them over and the most gates at the end wins. A simple and classic premise that really works. Disclaimer, though, I have not been able to test this online, but locally and there are bots to fill up with.

All in all, Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is still the most fun I've had with the series in over 20 years, and I'm actually at the time of writing looking forward to taking my Switch with me on vacation to break my own records. I just wish Sega would scale back production, as less is more here. Trying to add a story in this case is as relevant as trying to improve Tetris with a tale of missing blocks, rival gangs and Tetrominos speaking in fake children's voices in a made-up language. It wasn't for their delightful personalities that I once learned to love AiAi, MeeMee, Bano and GonGon - but because they were in an incredibly good game.